Vanished Beneath: DS Lasser six (The Lasser series Book 6) (27 page)

'Susan what's up?' he asked as he pressed the speaker button.

'Emma Drake just tried to make a withdrawal from the NatWest branch in Horwich.'

Lasser sat up straight. 'Go on.'

'They became suspicious because she had no bank card on her or any form of identification.'

'So they knocked her back?' 

'They said they would have to run a few checks, I mean, she knew the answers to the security questions well enough.'

'What happened?'

'Well she hung around while they tried to sort things out, but in the end she simply left without waiting for an answer.'

'Was she alone?'

'I've sent a unit over to the bank to check the CCTV footage, but I've already spoken to the cashier on the phone and she seems to think there was a man with her
.'

'
Forbes
?'

'We'll know for sure once we've seen the footage
sir.'

'Right, as soon as you know then give me a call.'

'Will do.'

'
Good work Coyle
,' Bannister shouted and Lasser winced at the volume.

'Oh, I didn't realise you were there sir.'

'It's a good job you weren't slagging me off then isn't it Coyle?

'I'd never do that sir
.'

Bannister grinned. 'Go on I'll believe you.'

Coyle cleared her throat.

'Thanks again Susan,' Lasser said.

'I'd best get on sir,'
she said before ending the call.

Bannister drove past the drive-in McDonalds and then turned immediately left onto a small glass strewn car park. 'That girl is on the ball Lasser.'

'Yeah I know.'

Bannister yanked on the handbrake, 'Detective material?'

'I'd say so.'

'Mm, and what did you make of Spenner's little
outburst,'
he asked as he unclipped his seat belt.

'I think you did the right thing, the man needs help.'

Bannister looked up at the block of flats; he could see a line of frilly underwear on the balcony fluttering in the breeze. 'Maybe he'd be better behind a desk.'

'I didn't think desk jobs existed anymore?'

'I might get him to double up with Sergeant Meadows for a while.'

Lasser grimaced; the thought of spending your days behind the front desk of the station with boring Timmy Meadows was a grim thought.

'So do you think Spenner would be able to cope without the high octane car chases and drug busts?' Bannister quipped.

Lasser pursed his lips. 'I don't think he'll miss the bread knife across the throat.'

'
Uncalled for Sergeant
,' Bannister snapped.

Lasser sighed. 'I know he likes to be precise, maybe a paper job would suit him for a while, give him chance to get some confidence back.'

'My thoughts exactly.'

When Lasser looked up he saw Colly Roberts leaning over the balcony looking down at them, his face a pale blur, hands locked on the metal rail that ran along the top of the balcony.

'
Roberts
!'

Bannister leaned forward in his seat and glanced up. 'Are you sure?'

Lasser fought his way free of the seatbelt. 'It's him alright.'

'Whoa Sergeant let's see what he's up to.'

'But...'

'I take it there's only one entrance to this place.'

'Well yeah but...'

'
So we wait
.'

Lasser looked up, Colly was looking out over the town, after a few seconds, he tilted his head towards the sky.

Then Lasser heard the distant wail of sirens, growing ever closer, ever louder.

'Who the fuck is
that?'
Bannister snapped spinning around in his seat as the first of three cars hurtled onto the car park.

'Shit!'
Lasser flung open the door and leapt out swiping a hand back and forth across his throat.

All three cars screeched to a halt the sound of sirens died though the flashing blues continued to rotate.

'
Lasser
!'

At the sound of Bannister's voice, Lasser snapped his head around and looked up. Colly Roberts had clambered onto the balcony rail his hands planted on the overhanging walkway above.

'Get back in the bloody car!'
Bannister snapped and watched as the uniformed officers scrambled back into the vehicles.

'Now what do we do?' Lasser asked.

Bannister threw him a look laced with uncertainty. 'I thought you said he wasn't soft in the head?'

Lasser shrugged and then sighed as he saw people pouring out of McDonalds; all had their heads tilted upwards as they watched the nutter on the balcony.

Bannister waved frantically at the officers in the car and then pointed at the approaching crowd.
'Come on you idiots keep these people back!'

The doors opened again and the officers scrambled back out.

'Chop-chop!'
Bannister urged them forward like a farmer herding sheep.

The men broke into a jog forming a ragged line in an effort to keep the rubberneckers back.

Lasser took a few steps forward his hands raised. 'Colly mate you don't want to be doing that why don't you come down and we can talk things through?'

'Fuck off!'
Colly shouted in return.

Lasser stopped and lowered his hands. 'Listen mate there are
kids
here,' he gesticulated toward the rapidly growing crowd.

'Bloody jump!'
someone shouted.

Bannister spun around in disbelief.
'Who said that?'

Someone sniggered.

'Yeah come on mate my burgers getting cold!'
Someone else joined in and then it seemed as if half the crowd broke into a loud cheer.

Lasser never took his eyes off Colly Roberts; even from this distance, he could see the grim look on the man's face.

'You want me to fucking jump is that what you all want?'
Colly screamed in fury.

A couple of voices shouted
'Yeah!'
in response.

Lasser shuffled forward.
'Colly these people are idiots, don't give them the satisfaction...'

Colly Roberts fell forward arms outstretched crucifixion style.

'No!'
Lasser lurched forward; he could hear the crowd gasp in shock, a few of them even managed to scream.

Lasser wanted to close his eyes, wanted to screw them shut, nevertheless his gaze tracked Roberts as he plummeted to the ground. When he hit the tarmac face first, it sounded like a bag of offal dropped down a stairwell. A sheet of blood erupted upwards coating the left hand side of a grubby looking transit van.

Lasser's run slowed to a jog and then he shuffled forward like an old man. Colly's brains matched the grey black of the ground; his left leg had shattered on impact, white bone gleamed amidst the red.

'Fuck,'
he mumbled as he came to a halt.

In the crowd, a woman started to scream in earnest as she took in the carnage.

'Happy now?'
Bannister roared.
'You got what you wanted you morons. So come on get your mobile phones out you might as well get your money’s worth
!'

People looked away shame faced as someone retched before throwing up in the bushes.

Then Bannister heard a click and flash as someone took a snap.

Lasser sighed as the pool of blood reached the gutter and started to drain away.

75

Medea placed the cup on the table, James Drake looked up and gave her a washed out smile.

'I thought they would have found her by now,' he said in a strained voice.

Medea slipped into the chair opposite and took a sip from her cup. 'Lasser says as soon as he hears anything he'll let me know.'

Drake took a small brown bottle from his pocket before shaking a couple of tablets free. 'He seems like a decent man.'

'He is.'

Popping them into his mouth, he took a gulp of the sweet tea and grimaced at the aftertaste. 'I used to wish Emma could meet someone she could settle down with and now look at her,' he pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose.

'I'm sure everything will be fine James.'

Drake sighed. 'I'm sure you're right it's just the waiting I can't abide.'

Medea looked around the sitting room; she could remember coming here over the years to see Emma. Her father had usually been at work and when he was in the house, he had always seemed stern, his face set in a perpetual frown.

For the most part Emma would ignore him though occasionally the tiny wars would flare up and then Medea would cringe in embarrassment as Emma let fly.

'You know I haven't been a very good father,' Drake said as if reading Medea's thoughts.

'That's not true,' she mumbled.

Drake smiled sadly. 'Ever the diplomat, but I know my faults,' he took another sip from the cup. 'I suppose it didn't help losing her mother at a young age.'

'It can't have been easy,' Medea agreed.

Drake looked thin and tired; the skin stretched tight over his cheekbones looked yellow in the glare of the overhead light. 'I should have been more understanding, she was a teenager, and I treated her as if she were an adult.'

'Emma's always seemed older.'

'Seemed older yes, but she was still a child, still needed a guiding hand.'

Medea sighed and balanced the cup on her knee. 'She does love you, you know.'

He looked down into the cup as if he expected to see some great mystery revealed in the murky depths. 'I just want her here before it's too late.'

Medea didn't know what to say, her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall, already she could see the light through the window fading. Another hour and it would be dark, she thought of Emma out there somewhere at the mercy of a madman and shivered.

'Are you cold Medea?'

'No I'm fine.'

'I'm glad you came, I was wandering from room to room like a zombie.'

'You need to take care of yourself.'

Drake snorted a laugh. 'It's gone beyond that I'm afraid.'

'But is there nothing they can do?'

'Afraid not. I mean, even though I'm retired I like to keep abreast of these things, but unfortunately the cancer is the aggressive type.'

'I'm sorry.'

Drake waved a dismissive hand. 'We all have to die Medea and the pain relief is first rate.'

'But...'

'I just wished I'd told Emma, it was
unforgivable
keeping it to myself.'

'But you didn't want to worry her and I can understand that.'

'Whichever way you look at it, it was selfish, she had a right to know, and I was just being a foolish old man.'

'Well look, she'll be home soon and then you can start to build bridges.'

'But what if they don't fine her, what if I go to my grave not knowing if she's safe and well,' his voice cracked with emotion.

Medea opened her mouth to reply and suddenly found she had nothing to say.

76

Lasser leaned on the bonnet of the car watching as the road sweeper trundled over the huge stain, the brushes spinning, the high-pressure spray diluting the blood.

The ambulance had arrived sharpish and what remained of Colly Roberts had been removed in a heavy-duty body bag.

Bannister folded his arms and sighed. 'What a bloody mess,' he mumbled.

'Why would he jump?' Lasser asked.

'Come on Lasser how the hell am I meant to answer that, the man was obviously
deranged.'

Lasser glanced at McDonald's, the place was heaving with people. Some stood by the window munching on their burgers as the mess was cleared away.

'What's wrong with the people around here?'

Bannister followed his gaze. 'They're animals, grown men who haven't done a day's work in their lives, spending all their time fathering kids that they don't give a shit about.'

'Tilly Crank lives around here and she raised ten kids in a little two-up two-down and apart from Joseph they all turned out respectable.'

'I think you'll find she's the exception rather than the rule.'

Lasser pulled out his cigarettes and sparked up before offering the pack to Bannister, the DCI paused for a moment before sliding one out.

'I suppose if we look at this with a cold analytical mind then it's a good thing.'

Lasser frowned at him through a cloud of smoke. '
A good thing
?'